The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the highly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild, and as such is bringing new features to its predecessor's open-world gameplay, including an ability that will let players combine their arrows with a variety of items. Breath of the Wild introduced elements that allowed for plenty of customization, letting players be creative in the way they approached the game. Now, it looks like Tears of the Kingdom is taking the free-form aspect even further.
Tears of the Kingdom is giving Link new abilities, and among them is one called Fuse, which lets him combine any two items. Fuse will allow players to mix items that aren't usually put together, and that could lead to weird, yet useful products. Given the potential combinations that can be done with arrows, Link's arsenal for ranged weapons could expand in a creative way.
10 Bass Arrows
The Hyrule Bass is a common fish that returned in Breath of the Wild after appearing in other Zelda games prior. Another returning creature in water locations is the Octorock, which can be annoying to fight due to its defensive nature. Hyrule Bass are useful for cooking recipes in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but Fuse could combine them with arrows and allow Link to distract Octorocks with fish while he defeats them without worrying about their defenses.
9 Pumpkin Arrows
Much like Hyrule Bass, Fortified Pumpkins in Breath of the Wild are mostly used for cooking. Since they're one of the foods favored by the Sheikah, Link can easily purchase them in Kakariko Village at a shop next to the pumpkin patch. However, Tears of the Kingdom could turn pumpkins into a weapon rather than having them be primarily used for cooking.
Using Fuse in TOTK on a Fortified Pumpkin and an arrow could create a type of utility arrow to stun or blind enemies. A Pumpkin Arrow could bind a Fortified Pumpkin onto the head of the enemy it hits. Even if the Pumpkin Arrow didn't do damage when it hits an enemy, the utility of blinding an enemy for a set period of time could be a lifesaver for players in situations such as being outnumbered.
8 Crab Arrows
When fighting enemies with a lot of health, a way to deal damage over time can be helpful. Using the new TOTK Fuse ability to combine a Crab with an arrow could create a Crab Arrow that has the Crab bite enemies to deal a small amount of damage over time. This can also prove useful against bosses with mechanics that require Link to move in order to avoid damage, as the Crab Arrow can keep dealing some amount of damage to the boss while Link is unable to properly attack.
7 Bee Honey Arrows
Like the Crab Arrows and Pumpkin Arrows, using Fuse to make Bee Honey Arrows in TOTK could be another way to add utility to combat for Link. A Bee Honey Arrow could stick an enemy in place, effectively stunning them. It could also be useful if Link could use a Bee Honey Arrow to spread honey on the ground at a distance that could act as a trap to stick an enemy.
6 Milk Arrows
This one might be a little more on the unusual side, but if Link's new ability in Tears of the Kingdom can be used to combine any two items, then he would be able to combine Milk with Arrows. Since magic is a recurring ability in Zelda games, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for some item combinations to result in a magical product. In the case of Milk Arrows, they could turn enemies into a cow, effectively removing them from combat for a short duration of time.
5 Diamond Arrows
Diamonds in Breath of the Wild are used for Weapon Recovery and Armor Upgrades, but Fuse could give them a new set of uses through combining them with other items. Diamond Arrows could pierce through multiple enemies, even if the damage is reduced for each enemy hit. Another ability for Diamond Arrows could be breaking through rocks that would otherwise require a bomb to break, giving them utility outside of combat.
4 Fairy Arrow
Great Fairies in Zelda often give Link upgrades, but the lesser fairies shouldn't be overlooked considering their ability to restore Link's health back to full. Instead of a weapon to damage others, Fuse used on a Fairy and an Arrow could create a utility item for healing. A Fairy Arrow could be used to restore full health to the target it strikes, which could be a problem if a player accidentally uses it on an enemy. However, that drawback could be necessary given the potential power of an item that can heal somebody to full health.
3 Mighty Banana Arrow
This is another combination with high potential for utility, but with the drawback of doing little to no damage. Mighty Bananas are notoriously loved by the Yiga Clan in BOTW, and they're easy to obtain since they can be purchased from Emri in Kara Kara Bazaar. Taking a feature from Mario Kart, Mighty Banana Arrows could be used to make enemies slip, stunning them for a short period of time, and possibly doing a minimal amount of damage, if any.
2 Silent Shroom Arrow
Silent Shrooms in BOTW can be used in cooking to increase Link's stealth temporarily, and a Silent Shroom Arrow could have a similar functionality executed differently. Instead of increasing Link's stealth, a Silent Shroom Arrow could be used to put enemies it strikes to sleep, which would still allow for Link to approach his task with stealth. For the sake of stealth, an area of effect for the Silent Shroom Arrow could be beneficial for instances where players need to put a group of enemies to sleep without attracting attention in the process.
1 Rice Arrow
Zelda doesn't give Link a shotgun to use as a weapon, but a Rice Arrow could act as a close substitute for a shotgun blast. Hylian Rice can be found by cutting grass in East Necluda, and it can be purchased from a variety of vendors. While the damage would be unlikely to match that of a shotgun from other games, a Rice Arrow could burst on contact to hit multiple enemies at once.
Breath of the Wild not only introduced an open world map, it also gave players the chance to be creative in the way they approached the game. Now, Tears of the Kingdom is showing that players will be able to get even more creative with Link's new abilities, one of which lets him combine any two items for a staggering number of possible combinations. While combinations with arrows already have a lot of potential, this is only the beginning of what Fuse could do in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube